Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q

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Gates Bar-B-Q
Gates Bar-B-Q at Cleaver II & Paseo on Brush Creek
Restaurant information
Established1946 (1946)
Food typeKansas City–style barbecue
LocationKansas City, United States
Websitegatesbbq.com

Gates Bar-B-Q is a chain of barbecue restaurants located in the Kansas City metropolitan area. It is one of two restaurants (along with Arthur Bryant's) that trace their roots back to Henry Perry, founder of Kansas City barbecue.[1]

History

Gates Bar-B-Q was founded in 1946 when George and Arzelia Gates purchased Ol' Kentuck Bar-B-Q, a restaurant located at 19th and Vine in Kansas City. Renamed Gates Ol' Kentucky, the business was operated by the couple, their three children, and cook Arthur Pinkard, who had previously trained under Kansas City barbecue pioneer Henry Perry.[2][3][4] The original storefront was situated within the 18th & Vine Jazz District, an area central to the city's jazz and barbecue traditions.[5][4] From 1948 to 1967, the restaurant was listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book as a hospitable destination for African American travelers during the Jim Crow era.[4]

The business moved to 23rd and Charlotte in 1949 but returned to the 19th and Vine area in 1951. After a fire caused when Ollie Gates and his brother-in-law accidentally left a trash can containing cigarette ashes inside the building, the restaurant relocated to 24th and Brooklyn, remaining there until 1957. Expansion continued in 1954 with the opening of a second location at 12th and Highland. In 1956, the company was renamed Gates & Son's Bar-B-Q after George's son, Ollie, joined the management following his service in the U.S. Army. Ollie Gates opened a separate restaurant and lounge, "O.G's," at 31st and Indiana in 1958, where he applied his engineering background to the design of the kitchen's barbecue ovens and the building's layout.[6][7][8]

Ollie Gates assumed leadership of the company following the death of George Gates in 1960. During the 1950s and 1960s, the restaurants began to receive national attention due to their proximity to Municipal Stadium; visiting sports media and fans for professional baseball and football games frequently cited the establishment's barbecue.[4][6][7] To maintain consistency across multiple sites, the company created "Rib Tech", an internal training program for staff. This era also introduced the "Struttin' Man" logo, a tuxedo-clad figure inspired by the 1927 Louis Armstrong song "Struttin' With Some Barbecue".[4][7]

The chain added locations at 1411 Swope Parkway in 1970, Leawood, Kansas, in 1972, Kansas City, Kansas, in 1975, and Independence, Missouri, in 1979. Distributions to retailers began in 1975 when the company's barbecue sauce was introduced to local grocery stores, reaching national distribution by 1983. In 1984, the company opened the Gates Commissary to manufacture and distribute its products.[7]

A location at Linwood and Main opened in 1994, and the corporate headquarters moved to a renovated building at Brush Creek and Paseo in 1997. Despite the deaths of Arzelia Gates in 2005 and her daughter Winnifred in 2007, the company has remained under family ownership. In 2021, Ollie Gates was inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame at the American Royal.[4][7]

Gate's Bar-B-Q is featured prominently in the lyrics and video of rapper Tech N9ne's song "O.G." The title and cover of the 2010 album the song is featured on, The Gates Mixed Plate, make further references to the restaurant. Tech N9ne has also referred to Ollie Gates in numerous songs over his career.

Gates and Sons is referenced in lyrics for Sir Mix-a-Lot's song "A Rapper's Reputation" from the 1992 album Mack Daddy.

The fourth season of the Apple TV+ comedy Ted Lasso began filming on July 21, 2025, with a photo of the main cast seated at Gate's in Midtown Kansas City.[9][10]

Notable workers

See also

References

  1. Euston, Diane (June 11, 2018). "The Father of Kansas City Barbecue: Henry Perry". The Martin City Telegraph. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  2. Moss, Robert F. (2010). Barbecue: The History of an American Institution. University of Alabama Press p' 167. ISBN 978-0-8173-1718-8.
  3. Gurstelle, William M. (July 16, 2016). "Getting to the heart of Kansas City, Mo.: barbecue, bebop and baseball". St. Paul Pioneer-Press. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  4. Martin, Mackenzie (September 18, 2021). "Kansas City Barbecue Legends Ollie Gates And Arthur Bryant Inducted Into Hall Of Fame". KCUR. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  5. Reid, Cat (September 3, 2019). "American Jazz Museum works to change its tune, perception". KSHB-TV. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  6. Hodes, David (March 20, 2025). "9 Over 90: Ollie Gates". Kansas City Magazine. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  7. "Gates History". Gates Bar-B-Q. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  8. Gates, Ollie (2018). "Ollie Gates - Gates Bar-B-Q" (PDF). The Green Book: Documenting African American Entrepreneurs (Interview). Interviewed by Taylor, Candacy. Library of Congress. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  9. Grathoff, Pete (July 21, 2025), Apple TV shares video of 'Ted Lasso' cast eating BBQ inside Gates restaurant, The Kansas City Star, retrieved July 21, 2025
  10. Porter, Rick (July 21, 2025). "'Ted Lasso' Kicks Back Into Gear With Key Returnees, New Cast for Season 4". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 22, 2025.